On April 12, 1961, Russia broadcast a historic radio bulletin that stunned the world. Yuri Gagarin, a 27-year-old Soviet Air Force pilot, had just become the first human ever to fly in space, aboard a small capsule named Vostok (‘East’).
Americans were shocked by the news. The US Mercury space capsule was nearly ready for launch, but technical problems delayed its first manned flight by a month. Five more Vostok launches over the next two years provided yet more Russian triumphs, while the US struggled to catch up. An epic ‘space race’ had begun.